August Adventure

Gorge-ous.

Two weeks flew like time usually does: slow, then fast, but seemingly all at once. Before I could even fully process the reality of it, I was on a jet plane looking out at the Atlantic Ocean wishing it was Lake Wakatipu instead. Vacations are often too short no matter how long they are. And the more satisfying, the shorter they become. 

As I write this post, I am 35,000 feet above sea level and thousands of miles away from New Zealand where I drove on the left side of the road for the first time. Road trips are exciting enough without the added element of adjusting to a right-hand drive car with all the controls not where you expect them to be (except the gas and brake pedals). It could be daunting initially but you will get the hang of it. Isn't that what life is all about anyway?

The Land of the Long White Cloud was quite a revelation. The drive along the coasts, mountains, dirt roads, and city streets from Auckland to Dunedin was an experience anyone should have at least once in a lifetime. The scenery is as varied and ever-changing as the weather. Thousands of photos were taken on this trip but not a single one or even all of them put together could capture the dreaminess of it all. 

And as if the adventure wasn't memorable enough, my boyfriend did something sweet: he asked me to marry him on the day of our 8th month together at Hokitika Gorge on a suspension bridge that swayed to the rhythm of our laughter while the turquoise blue river below happily danced and rippled away oblivious to what was going on above them. It was just the two of us and God's beautiful creation; a magical moment that couldn't have happened at a more perfect time.

Sitting here right now in a tiny economy seat, waiting for the plane to land in New York City, I can't help but remember with fondness all the moments that I will treasure forever from that trip. The people we met, the food, the bloopers, and the stories... oh, the stories are as colorful as the country itself.

But as wonderful as those couple of weeks were, the days ahead are more promising. Where to next?